My Big Blue Friend
by Mighty Dreamfinder
Summary: Genie finds himself surprised when his latest master of the lamp is only a child. Maybe this time he would have more than a master. Perhaps, a friend? (Modern day AU.)
1. Blastoff

**_The Bound Rules of The Genie's Three Wishes:_**

 _A genie cannot terminate the life of any living being._

 _A genie cannot forcefully influence an individual being to love another._

 _A genie cannot return life to the lifeless._

 _A genie can only grant three wishes and cannot be manipulated for more than three._

 ** _The Bound Rule of the Final Wish:_**

 _Once the genie has granted a mortal's three wishes, the mortal master will lose all memory of the genie._

 _This rule cannot be changed, unless the mortal master's final wish is used to free the genie._

* * *

Genie huffed a sigh as he propped his impressive chin up with his palms, staring blankly at the checkers board he had conjured. The game board balanced perfectly on a stack of round, colorful cushions, also conjured. He simply floated in a sitting position off the floor, his elbows resting on the smoke-like tail that extended from his torso instead of actual legs. He eyed the checker pieces on the board and then his opponent on the other side.

A stereotypical portrait of a well-groomed man, sporting a massive double chin and a greedy smile was propped up on an easel. Genie's mouth slipped into a flat line.

"You couldn't just let me win one game, could you, George?"

The picture of his previous Master remained where it was and without an answer. Genie's expression twitched. "Typical. Always winning everything, weren't you?" He snapped his fingers and the game, portrait and easel vanished in a burst of sparkle and blue-purple sighed and listed off the winnings of his previous Master with his fingertips.

"Lottery tickets, new cars, cruises... Wishing yourself to win everything you play against sure was a clever one. Heh. None of the others ever quite figured that one out."

He regarded the stack of cushions in the middle of the space he called home. The inside of his lamp was a circular, rather small room, the size never able to be changed. An invisible seal kept him contained until someone claimed the lamp and became his new Master. So he entertained himself with decorating and re-decorating his space as the centuries went by. A stack of pillows and bean bags took up one side of the curved area, the walls were covered with large, blown-up photos of post cards from different travel destinations he admired. Two of them had a big, blue check mark from when he'd actually had the luck of getting a Master who lived in those places.

"Come on, goldie," Genie thumped the wall of the lamp. "Let's pick ourselves a new and exciting place next time around, huh? How 'bout New York City?"He swung around and dove atop the cushion pile and with a poof of magic, turned himself into a blue Gorilla.

"The Empire State Building won't know what to do with me!"

Genie swatted a paper airplane from the air before poofing back into Genie form, seated and wearing cow-skin chaps and a cowboy hat. "Or the Great West! Cowboys, horses, cattle rustlers and the Lone Ranger. I still need to get his autograph."

Another snap of fingers and the cowboy attire vanished. A small, navy blue book appeared in Genie's hand and he flipped through the pages, concentrating gleefully on the various signatures that littered the book. Names hand written by only the most interesting and well-known people Genie had ever had the chance to meet during his servitude alongside multiple Masters. He chuckled.

"' _Doc Brown. Marty McFly._ ' Boy were their faces funny … "

The Master during that time had wished to meet the two characters, and Genie obliged him. So there had been a lot of chaos afterwards, but once it happened and was over with, things were set right and the Doc and Marty were back in their crazy time travel story with no memory of meeting a skinny computer nerd or the big blue man with no legs.

No one remembered, really. Not a single person who ever laid eyes on Genie would recall him.

Invisibility, even figuratively, was no fun.

Genie stored his book of signatures and flopped onto his back. George had been the 689'th Master he had served in his lifetime. Genie's memory worked perfectly. He could see them all, the faces, hear the voices, their tales of woe turning to delight and comfort, and power. Usually power.

 _Always_ power.

Frowning, Genie extended a four-fingered hand, his gaze traveling to the golden cuff around his thick, blue wrist. An accessory with the sole purpose of reminding him he was chained to an eternity of existing as a slave no one remembered. Whoever made up these rules and stuff could have at least equipped him with something a little more exciting. Like a nifty cape. Nope. Over-sized, flashy handcuffs it was. He would forever be chained to serving mortals their heart's desires, at the cost of other mortals, and sometimes even at the cost of his conscience. George for instance had used his final wish to cause his superior to suffer an injury that would forever leave him disable, giving space for George to step into his shoes. He could have simply wished to take over his boss' position and Genie could have easily, gladly, come up with a way to do so without harming anyone. But his Master wouldn't hear of it. George had wanted to see the other mortal suffer.

Humans would never learn.

And he had the wonderful job of showering them with their powerful dreams and never once being shown so much as a thank you. Or even a hint of meaning something other than a 'Genie.'

He was a Genie, yes. His name was Genie. He did Genie-things. But Genie wasn't just a Genie after all. No one knew or even had the memory to think about it. Not that he didn't like being who he was. He had come to realize a long time ago that being a Genie was an amazing thing. To hold the power to change things, help others, share happiness, was nothing to scoff at. He couldn't have wanted a better ability.

But the ability, while his, simply was never in his right of choice. Out of his 689 Masters, only a small handful had ever used their wishes for noble, joyous purposes. But that meant something, didn't it? Mortals could be good if they chose to.

"Hold on, what's that?" Genie sat up, his train of thought derailing. The walls shimmered and grew bright as if sunlight was being let in. And since the lamp had no windows, it could only mean one thing. Genie flew upright, his face lighting up in a smile.

"We got one! Okay, get ready everybody … " He snapped his fingers and waved his hands, turning to a set of mirrors and various beatification products that appeared. A swarm of Genies identical to himself stared back from the mirrors, some smiling excitedly, some frowning and arching a wary eyebrow.

Genie snatched up a bottle of perfume and began squirting himself with the scent. "Okay team, it's New Master Time. You know what that means."

A mirror Genie grinned and started to dance, jerking his arms and shoulders. "A new start, a new place, and a chance to make a new friend!"

The mirror Genie next door clicked his tongue with a wink and pointed at the other mirror Genie. "And hey, maybe this time we'll get a chance to catch the rest of that Kung-Fu movie with the animals."

They both cheered and reached through the mirrors to hive-five.

A third mirror Genie frowned, clearly unimpressed, and crossed his thick blue arms. "Sure, maybe our Master will even make popcorn and build us a fort in their living room. Come _on_. It's gonna be the exact same thing." He crossed his eyes and summoned a blank expression. " _Your wish is my command_. That's it."

The two other mirror Genies cast the third one pouts and one even blew a raspberry. "Take it outside, ya party pooper!"

Genie sucked in a huge breath, expanding his already huge chest, and waved away the mirrors, getting rid of his counterparts.

"Make the most of it," he coached himself with a confident smile. By now he was an expert at staying optimistic. He reminded himself how awesome it actually could be to be a Genie, even if he was about to be exploited for power and gain, like the hundred times before. He would get a glimpse at someone's life for a brief time and maybe find some new signatures for his book.

And any amount of time outside the lamp was good time, in his mind.

Speaking of which, the lamp shuddered as it was rubbed once more, and the invisible seal containing him inside hummed, falling away. Genie grinned and rocketed upward into the spout area in a cluster of smoke and stars.

"Here I _coooome!_ "

With a crack, he burst into open space and immediately corkscrewed right into a ceiling.

Spinning faintly, he groaned out, "YEOW!" and gripped his head. "Who put that there …?"

Blinking open one, then two eyes, Genie took in the new surroundings cautiously, a curious smile on his face. It faltered a little, confusion pulling at his lips as he noted the single bed shoved in the corner, the mess of nick knacks that littered the floor, the sunlight that was muted from a pair of dingy white curtains hanging over the window into the gray little room.

A girl, not even twelve years old, stood below on the floor, gawking at him. She had every right to stare, since his current size took up most of the tiny room. Twin orange-colored braids hung on either side of her head, a mop of orange hair covered her forehead, and brown eyes were round with shock. She had the lanky limbs of a monkey, wore a scuffed up pair of tan shorts, a worn pink tank top, and goggles of all things were nestled securely around her neck.

His lamp was held by the child's two small hands in a death grip.

Genie blinked, his lids audibly making a slight _tink, tink_ sound, and the child's mouth fell open.

It was all he could do not to conjure up his copies to take part in sharing his confusion. At least he would have somebody to ask for advice.

Never had a child become his Master before.

* * *

Ten year-old Vicky huffed and ground her teeth together, pedaling harder and willing her bicycle to zoom even faster down the sidewalk. Heat pressed down from the unrelenting sun overhead, the kind that normally made a person pause to admire in annoyed fascination how easy it always was in the summertime to notice the waves of heat rising from the pavement. Going faster created wind, and with her eyes protected behind the lens of a pair of old aviator goggles, Vicky had no problems.

Unless somebody stepped into the sidewalk.

"Coming through!" Vicky hollered at a tall woman walking her greyhound. Dog and human jumped to the side and yipped in surprise. Vicky grinned, tilting her face upward and hooted into the wind.

She soon slowed and turned the bike onto the front lawn of a square little house, a large, old oak tree planted firmly in front of the structure, its enormous branches and millions of leaves sheltering a tree house, which in turn covered a good portion of the second story of the house. Vicky eyed her tree house. The weather report said storms could come with the evening, and she still had things left out from the morning's project – potato batteries for smart phones. Those would need to be put away somewhere dry.

Vicky jumped off the bike and straightened her spine with a grimace at the heaviness that protested from a backpack stuffed full and clinging to her shoulders. The ten year old marched with a smile up the front porch steps and pulled open the door. It creaked noisily and she grimaced. Most likely everyone in the neighborhood heard it. Which meant Vicky's return home would not go unnoticed.

"Vicky Lou Levinson, where have you been?"

Mom's brisk footsteps sounded and she appeared, frowning. Her short red curls were held back by a red bandanna and one hand held a cleaning rag. Mom lifted a slender eyebrow. "What were you doing out there?"

Vicky shrugged and honestly replied, "Looking for stuff at the junkyard."

The junkyard was the best place to find odds and ends that nobody else wanted. Hours could be spent there, fishing out little trinkets and treasures. As Mom's face melted into disapproval, Vicky hurriedly slipped out of her backpack and dug a hand inside.

"Nope, wait, wait! Before you say anything just look at what I found, Mom."

Vicky bit her lip and grunted, pulling up a small box-ish thing. Some wires were stuck to it, and they clung to some squashed pieces of clanking metal. She swatted the mess to the floor and held up her newest prize.

"Look at that! I even got one of the little light thingies to come on. It's perfect for the potato test."

Understanding dawned across Mom's sharp, pale face. "Oh, it's a … a smart phone."

"Yep. And someone just threw it away. I am so lucky today, Mom."

Mom sighed and gingerly rubbed her forehead. "Honey, you know the rules. I don't want you going there all by yourself. It's not the safest place in town."

Vicky insisted, "Yes it is, Mom! No one _ever_ goes there, so I don't have to worry about strangers and robbers and stuff."

"You out there, among piles and towers of _metal_ and crushed machinery?" Mom shook her head, her short, orange-red curls swaying hastily. "No thank you. I won't see my baby squashed and all over the headlines the next day."

Vicky lifted her chin. "I'm not scared of _anything_."

She could easily name off a list of things she didn't fear like the other girls. They ran away from spiders and cockroaches while Vicky stomped on them. She would gladly explore any dark hole or cave. Roller coasters and heights weren't a problem. Bullies weren't a problem either, just annoying.

"That, sweetie, is exactly what I'm afraid of. There's dangers you're just too young to think about."

Vicky slumped, cradling the unwanted smart phone. So it had been a gamble going to the junkyard today. Punishment was probably going to happen somehow, one way or another –

Mom gently lifted Vicky's slumped head. "You're not using your bike for a week. You know the rules."

"What, Mom, come on! What am I gonna do now?"

The gentleness in Mom's face flickered toward sternness that clearly told her not to argue. Vicky had broken the rules. Mom had spoken. That was all.

Not like Vicky hadn't really seen it coming. She lowered her head and wandered dejectedly up the stairs, dragging her backpack behind her, hopping to maybe cause just the tiniest bit of regret in Mom's decree. Maybe lower the sentence to a couple of days.

Instead, Mom's voice called calmly, "Dinner's going to have to be a box of mac and cheese. I've a headache, so I don't think I'll stay up for movie night this time, honey. Sorry about that."

Whatever defiance Vicky had felt vanished and she paused at the top of the stairs. "It's fine, Mommy. You should get some rest …"

She trailed off and frowned to herself, hauling her backpack into her bedroom. Mom and her headaches. They happened way too much nowadays. There had been a time when Mom's headaches coming between their movie night would have made Vicky sulk and grumble all night long. Things were different now. Because she finally noticed just how much they hurt Mom when they happened. And she had been cleaning when Vicky got home, something Vicky probably should have done instead of breaking the rules and exploring the junkyard all afternoon. She felt just a bit of guilt, but seriously, Mom didn't know how awesome the junkyard was.

Vicky's bedroom was cluttered as usual, the bed unmade, the window open with sunlight filtering past white curtains bathing the room with a muted glow. It actually made the dim color of the aged wallpaper look a little nicer, and it was harder to see the cracks in the ceiling. Vicky moved to the middle of the floor and dumped out her finds from the junkyard. She stood over the pile of scrap and random objects, smiled, and snapped her fingers. "I don't have my bike. Still got my treasure." She shifted her hands through the various objects, clanking and scraping against the wooden floor. A fingernail brushed a polished surface and Vicky caught her breath and grinned.

"I almost forgot about you!"

She pulled up the small, dull, golden teapot. If it was a teapot at all. It was flatter than a regular teapot, curvier and sharper than a teapot. Vicky squinted, her tongue poking out from her mouth as she looked it over, recalling why she had brought it home in the first place. Mom liked tea, and maybe with a little cleaning up she would have herself a nice, little gold ... Gold?

Vicky jerked away the arm holding the teapot and stared. She felt a tiny flicker of hope. What if it _was_ actual gold?

In three seconds the entire house morphed, the cracks and dreary wallpapers washing away, taking the rest of the house's broken down condition with them, and were replaced with shiny, clean surfaces and sleek furnishings. A living room with a video game console and all the latest movies appeared, drawing the other neighborhood kids over to the house. Vicky's face hurt from her grinning, even as the fantasy ended. Surely a teapot made of gold could be worth enough money to fix the house. Maybe that would solve Mom's headaches, too. People said old stuff in old houses like mold or flooring could be unhealthy and cause illnesses, after all.

"I need a tissue or something … "

Vicky dove to her nightstand and grabbed a tissue from a box before wandering back to her pile of stuff, rubbing anxiously at the smudges covering the teapot. A sudden tingling sensation spread through her fingers and the girl froze. Her breath caught in her throat as the teapot jumped around. Afraid the thing would fall and shatter on the floor, Vicky spent a few moments anxiously struggling to hold the jumping teapot as it shook and slipped from her grasp.

"Stay still already!" She finally slammed her hands around it and squeezed. "Gotcha."

Sparks and blue and purple smoke suddenly poured from the spout. It were as if someone had set off a volley of firecrackers in her room. The cloud of color and brightness spun, coiling and filling up as much free space the room had left to offer. A voice was calling something she couldn't make out.

There was a loud thump as _something_ inside the smoke hit the ceiling, and then _someone_ cried out, "YEOW! Who put that there?"

The smoke and sparks died down to reveal a huge, blue humanoid being. His face was large and long, framed by a thin black beard. A tiny black tail of hair stuck out from the top of his mostly bald, blue head. He was blue all over, and a crimson sash tied off where his body should have had legs. Instead there was a long, see-through, dark blue tail of smoke. Vicky's mouth fell open.

The big blue person looked around the room curiously and blinked. His bright eyes crinkled and grinned at her.

"Never had a kid for a Master before."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_ This story has been brewing in the back of my head for over a year at least. Obviously, it takes place in modern day times by the power of fanfiction. Ha. However, it does make me think of a certain meme/theory floating around about _Aladdin_ taking place in the future, which would explain how Genie makes so many current day references. I hope you guys enjoy this little story. Reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Meeting Magic

Vicky shrieked.

So did the blue floating person. He backed up and smacked his head on the ceiling a second time. He groaned and spun in a woozy circle, holding his head. With another scream, Vicky flung the gold 'teapot' to the bedroom floor as if it were a venomous snake and vaulted for her open window.

"Vicky?"

Both child and blue being swung their gazes onto the door, footsteps fast approaching from the other side. The blue man _zipped_ with a small puff of smoke back into the discarded teapot, quick as lightning, leaving behind an ordinary scene of Vicky's messy bedroom, minus the fact she was perched in the windowsill like a frozen bird.

Mom entered her bedroom, eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"Um … I, um ..." Vicky looked from the floor full of objects, one in particular, then back to her Mom, face flushing, and squeaked out, "There was a bug."

Mom blinked, frowning. "Bugs don't scare you."

The child offered a nervous grin and hunched up her shoulders. "It was blue."

"It was blue?"

"Yeah. Blue. It was blue." Vicky nodded furiously, glad her voice sounded less hysterical, and lowered her feet back to the floor. She flipped her braids back and shrugged. "You know, I guess it kinda … surprised me."

"'Surprised,'" Mom repeated with a small laugh, her tension clearly residing. She smiled knowingly. "Honey, you sounded scared out of your wits. I've never heard you scream like that before."

"Well, what if it was poisonous? You'd be surprised if a poisonous, blue bug came in your room, too. And I wasn't _scared._ "

"Maybe you should shut that window. Lands sakes, I've already swatted a few flies, but none of them were blue."

Vicky stayed standing still until Mom had left, thinking nothing but amusement toward her bold daughter's antics. Certain Mom was downstairs, Vicky snatched up the golden teapot and all but threw herself out the window and into the tree house.

The wooden structure was roughly as spacious as her room, minus bedroom furniture, and was mostly enclosed by four walls and a slanted roof. An opening beside her bedroom window allowed for access along with the traditional ladder that met the ground. A bunch of potatoes, some infused with wires and components, lay off in one corner.

A small, rickety coffee table rescued from the junkyard sat along the wall and Vicky slammed the teapot down before dropping to her knees. For a long time she glared at the golden thing and wondered if she really wanted to proceed, or even if what had just happened had been _real_. But she would be stupid not to test it out again. The ten year old bit her lip and braced herself before rubbing at the golden sides of the odd little container.

This time the smoky show was much more relaxed, oozing out slowly and with little to no sparks accompanying it. A blue blob the size of a human fist unfurled from the spout and two eyes set within a more squished version of the long, blue face stared at her carefully.

The fact there was a face without a body watching her should have been enough to freak anyone out, but not Vicky.

Well, not this time. She was determined to hold her ground. So Vicky stared right back, narrowing her eyes. She asked in a firm whisper, "Are you a ghost?"

"Ghost?" he gasped, immediately pouring out with a small burst of smoke, causing her to duck and yelp. She quickly sprang to her feet, heart pounding.

At least this time the blue man stuck with a slightly more human-sized body rather than the giant who nearly took up all available space in her bedroom. He pouted at her and placed a four-fingered hand over himself.

"Do I _look_ like Jacob Marley?" In a flash of smoke he was suddenly clothed in Victorian garb and took on a hazy, ghostly form. "Well in a way, mankind is my business when you think about it. Except with a much different type of – Ooh! I forgot the chains." A coil of heavy chains came from nowhere and plunked on top of his shoulders, and he dropped to the floor in a heap.

"What!"

Startled, Vicky backed against the table, knocking the golden teapot off. But this time he didn't vanish away. A blue hand shot out and caught the gold container. The blue being returned to normal and 'stood' upright. His pointed features looked at her with a mixture of cheerfulness and confusion.

"Oh. Heh, forgot. Panicky type, this one. Been awhile since I got the chance to interact with kids."

Vicky snapped her gaze from the golden teapot in his hands, to the blue man's angular face, then to the floor where a heap of chains had been seconds ago. She frowned and squared her shoulders, even though her insides were knotted with shock.

"What happened to those things? Where'd they go? How did … how …?"

"What's the matter? You'd think you'd never seen magic before. What do they teach in schools these days?" He crossed his broad arms and shifted his eyes around the wooden structure, mumbling, "Gee, I had no idea a bit of magic would scare a little thing like you ..."

Hang on, _scared_? Not cool. Vicky planted her hands on her hips. "I wasn't scared, okay?"

"No, no, never said you were," he replied nonchalantly. He soon smirked and pointed at her. "But you did scream."

"No I didn't."

"Sure did. Two times."

"You screamed, too!"

He held his hands up, still holding the teapot in one, and shrugged absently. "Well for all I knew that was the way you mortals greeted each other in these parts!"

For a long moment the two just stared at each other, one in confusion, the other seemingly frozen with a smile, as if hoping for a reaction.

Somehow, she was beginning to doubt the odd floating, blue being posed a threat, but he sure didn't make any sense.

Vicky tilted her head. "Soo, you're not a ghost …? Well, ghosts aren't funny, anyway."

"Oh, I don't know. Ever take a trip to the Haunted Mansion? Always got a swingin' wake going on there." He shrugged, smiling.

A few seconds passed by before Vicky stepped forward. No bad guy on the face of the earth seemed even remotely interested in silly chatter. And anyway, who lives in a teapot? She could have very well discovered a new secret society living in ordinary objects. Wouldn't that be bizarre?

She lifted her head and held out her hand, proudly greeting, "I'm Vicky Levinson, inventor in training."

The blue man's eyes brightened and, if possible, his smile increased. He shook her hand warmly. "Nice to meet you, Vicky! That short for Victoria?"

Her nose wrinkled. "Yeah, but you can call me Vicky."

"How about Vic?"

She paused in thought before nodding firmly. "Sounds good. Long as it's not _Victoria_. So, who are you, mister?"

She very well must have asked the greatest question of the universe. He flashed a broad grin and shifted into the center of the tree house, arms sweeping with great flourish. Dazzling sparks scattered around him, and with a puff of smoke, making Vicky jump in the process, a spotlight suddenly fell over his frame and confetti rained down on their heads.

"I'm _Genie of the Lamp_! Honey, where have you been? Actually," he ducked down sheepishly, the fanfare fading away to nothing. "No one's ever really asked me that before. They always seem to know exactly what a bunch of magical sparkles, smoke and shape-shifting beings mean."

Vicky bent over to brush her palm across the floor as if that would bring back the colorful confetti that covered the floorboards seconds ago. Nope. Gone.

The Genie was still reminiscing, and frowned, rubbing his massive chin. "Except for that one guy, Harold. Had to discontinue the fireballs after that entrance." He winced. "Yikes."

Vicky straightened and gestured flatly. " _What_ are you talking about?"

The Genie blinked rapidly. "Okay then. Guess it's time for some schooling."

He drew himself up, posture indicating he was about to perform something or perhaps give a speech, only to pause and look at Vicky, noticing how she braced herself and watched with mild caution.

She raised an eyebrow. "You said 'magic' … Are you magic? You make it?"

He lowered his arms, gold teapot drooping towards the floor, and blurted out a nervous chuckle. "Hey, come on. I mean, sure you're a child, but most kids hear the stories and stuff, don't they? You guys haven't come to a point where you don't speculate about magic anymore. It's practically written in every best seller." The Genie lifted a sleek eyebrow. "You're trying to pull my leg, aren't you kiddo?"

Vicky shook her head, totally innocent. She almost said aloud _there's no such thing as magic_ , but after the tricks and smoky sparkles, she wasn't so quick to make that statement and sound as if she didn't know anything. Scientists and inventors had to test the facts after all. "Noo-ope."

"Don't you know what a genie is?"

In her mind, Vicky saw the old TV show with the blonde woman all in pink, bouncing her head and conjuring stuff, much to her Master's distress.

"They make things and cause trouble. At least on TV they do. But that's just a stupid fairy tale! But ... how're you doing all that stuff ... That ..." The girl lifted her hands and flopped them around. " _Poof_ , and stuff happens. And hang on a sec!" She pointed at the Lamp. "That's a _lamp_? How do you fit in there?"

Genie's shoulders drooped all the way to the floor, his mouth hanging open in perfect, genuine shock despite the humorous antics he seemed to operate by. He scratched the back of his head.

"Well, this is ... different."

* * *

Right from the moment when Genie saw his newest Master was nothing more than a child, he was instantly excited. Kids were different than adults. Younger, more imaginative, more concerned about having fun than power. At least, that was usually the case. Show a child a little bit of magic and you'd have a pair of bedazzled eyes showering you with adoration and amazement. His past Masters belittled or ignored Genie's antics and fun-loving nature, the surprise tricks and displays he pulled to try and get even the slightest smile in return, but those were grown ups with stuffy heads concentrated on wealth and politics and _me, me, me_. Kids were different.

This one, maybe a little _too_ different.

Genie observed the young mortal across from him. The youngster watched him with large, curious eyes and a great deal of innocence, but there was something missing. And he knew what it was; joy! Why, every single Master previous had screamed or danced, had shown some type of elated emotion because they all understood what having a genie meant. This child regarded him with curious wonder, and a great deal of confusion, but thankfully the wariness had faded away. Sure was inquisitive, this kid.

He kind of wanted to smack himself; the possibilities this girl had before her were endless, _and she was asking about his lamp_?

Genie moved forward, lamp still in his grasp. He tipped his head, feeling kind of, well … sympathetic.

"You really aren't grasping all of this, are you? This -" he tucked the lamp in her hands and backed away. " - is yours. You found it, you're now the owner. The Master. I'm a genie. I have phenomenal, cosmic powers, and they exist just for _you,_ little lady."

He gave her forehead a gentle poke and grinned. "Get the picture? You get three wishes, Vic. For whatever you want, except for three very basic things."

He then held up a hand and began to name the rules off his fingers.

"One, I can't kill anyone." The first finger went limp with a cross-eyed face. "Two, I can't make anyone fall in love with anyone else." The second finger swelled into a small heart and was instantly pierced with an arrow. "Three, I can't bring people back from the dead. We'll just skip the demonstration for that one. Ghosts don't seem to be a good topic for you."

The girl looked from him to his lamp and tipped her head. "I thought it was just a teapot."

"Uh, hello? Phenomenal, cosmic powers?" He raised his hands, fingers aglow from magic. "Wishes?"

The kid spread her arms apart and shrugged. "Well, what are the wishes for?"

Hold the phone. What a question! Here was a little girl who had caught the biggest break in her life and all she did was ask questions? Where was the excitement? The uncontrollable joy? A light bulb appeared and popped over his head, accompanying the sudden realization he came to. She was missing it because she had likely never thought about or experienced magic. She didn't know any better. Now, to be fair, most of the others in possession of the lamp had little to no awareness that magic was a real thing, but they understood real quick when they found out about the wishes. Immediately they were dishing out their orders, and many times Genie's services were exhausted within minutes. They never needed help thinking of the possibilities.

"Listen, kid?" he said when he found his voice again, lowering himself to her eye level. "How's about your new friend Genie give you a brief, teeny tiny demonstration or two about magic, huh?"

Vicky brightened and nodded.

Eyes twinkling, Genie weaved his hands together and flexed, bright magic stirring and sparking at his fingertips.

"Lemme break it down for ya, nice and simple."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_ : As if anything Genie does is 'simple.' ;)  
I appreciate my readers! **


	3. Around the World!

The tree house shuddered as shimmering, smoky magic washed over the floorboards. The Genie conducted his hands like an expert puppeteer, seeming to know exactly what he was doing with the magic flowing from his fingers. His smile never left his broad face, despite how he concentrated on what he was doing. Vicky's mouth fell open as her tree house lurched upward and her stomach dropped. Wind burst through the wooden structure, whipping at her braids. She threw her arms out for balance and whirled around, crying out in alarm. The window showed the outside world as a wild blur of color. Then, with a final zip the tree house stopped.

Immediately Vicky found her feet leaving the floor. She yelped and pinwheeled in thin air. Her potato batteries in the corner were floating as well.

"No way." Vicky glanced at Genie and gasped, suddenly understanding. "We're … ? _No way_!"

Genie saluted and vanished instantly. "Check out the view!" his voice suggested.

Vicky hop-floated to the window and held onto the edge. Her eyes met a view of inky blackness speckled with thousands of shining lights. Outer space. She had to do a double take.

"We're in space?!"

Genie floated past the window, decked out in full astronaut gear.

"Thought you might like to get a kick outta seeing the moon. Really, kiddo, the sky's no limit to what you could do with my help."

He beamed and hauled a space-bedazzled backpack in front of him. By now Genie floated upside down, but that didn't stop him from plunging an arm into his bag, concentrated on finding something. "Aha!" He pulled out a small, red sphere of rock.

Genie blushed within his helmet. "Whoops. That's Mars, not the moon."

"Wait a minute! You took the moon?"

"Borrowed. And no, I took Mars. Might wanna wish for some glasses, missy."

The Genie snapped his fingers, and his ensemble vanished. He grinned at her and waved. Awestruck, the ten year old dazedly waved back, unable to hold back her own grin. The view of space began to whirl outside the tree house, and winds once again filled the interior while the outside morphed into a new scene. Gravity came back and Vicky's feet hit the floor just as the spinning, outside world came to an abrupt halt. She fell back on her rump and quickly scrambled up to look out the window.

The tree house was suspended over a European city. A small waterway sat below them, framed by intricate, pale buildings and a sprinkling of trees. Vicky's gaze wandered sideways and she let out an excited holler at the sight of the Eiffel Tower standing tall and proud in the distance.

She pointed and danced in place. "That's-That's the Eiffel Tower! This is France."

"Does make for a great picture, especially with this view." Genie had materialized outside the window. He wore a polo shirt, sported a thin mustache and a very tourist-y looking cap. He lifted a Polaroid camera and snapped a picture of their view.

"Oh, wait. Selfie!" Before Vicky had time to react, he had leaned over and snapped a picture. A moment later Genie passed her the newly formed photo; he was grinning brightly and she just looked dumbstruck.

Vicky blinked before snickering and bouncing on her heels. A selfie above France! What would Mom say?

"What else can we see?" she asked eagerly.

"You got any favorite animals?"

"Elephants are cool."

The Genie lifted his shoulders, magic shimmering around himself and the tree house. "Elephants are cool!" he repeated.

Vicky could hardly contain her laughter, delighted at the supernatural whirlwind that transported them to another destination. The scent of fresh grass hit her nose, followed by a stunning landscape of tall, brown-green grass, acacia trees and blue sky beyond the window. A herd of elephants strolled leisurely down below. Vicky quietly squealed as she watched her favorite animal since drawing pictures in kindergarten walked the earth before her very eyes.

Genie smiled knowingly and wordlessly handed her the camera.

After a brief photo session, they moved on next to the fjords of Norway, then the Great Wall of China. A dense rain forest in Brazil, then the bright island of Hawaii. Genie seemed totally happy playing the role of tour guide, gladly pointing out and explaining little details and landmarks, sounding just as excited as Vicky was to actually be seeing the sights. She could even smell the scents that accompanied the different destinations. All she had to do was lean out of the window to see everything. Her pulse beat so quickly in her wrists she wondered if it were pushing its limit, but that could be worried over later. She was seeing _the world_.

"Monument Valley!" Genie exclaimed, sweeping a blue arm as if to even try and encompass the great expansion of desert and red, towering rocks.

"Whoa!" Vicky's jaw fell open and she dropped the camera. A quick zip of magic and Genie held it safely in his hands again.

Vicky leaned out the window as far as she could without falling out. "It's huge. It's so _big_! I can't believe it. It's better than a million dollars!"

Genie snorted, smacking a four-fingered hand against his skull and shaking his head. "A million dollars?" he said with a disbelieving chuckle. "Still not getting it, are ya, shorty? You don't need a million dollars; you can wish for _so much more_. See more, and hey! _Do_ more, too!" He lit up like a light bulb, literally pulling a cord and causing a light to switch on above his head. "I've got it! Hang on to your goggles."

Vicky instinctively pulled her goggles on over her face and an instant later she had left the tree house behind, her body being transported in half a second. She suddenly found herself bobbing up and down, clinging to the reins of a galloping horse dashing across the desert.

The Genie whooped nearby, dressed from head to toe in full cowboy clothes, an enormous stetson flopping around on his head. "Hi-ho Silver!"

Vicky held the reins in a death grip and flattened herself as much as possible against her steed's back, gulping down air nervously. The horse beneath her plunged in a steady gallop, but that didn't change the fact the animal was rather large and high, and Vicky had never once rode a horse in her life. That didn't keep her from enjoying herself. Any new opportunity, caused by a Genie or not, was always a good opportunity to learn something new.

"Where-Where are we going?" she yelled.

Genie poofed and switched to lounging on his horse's back, casual as ever. He waved a blue hand and smirked. "Wherever you wanna go. You got a favorite story or something?"

"Uh ..." Her brow knitted before she blurted, "The Wizard of Oz?"

There was a flash of magic and then the world was no longer rushing past. The girl yelped, suddenly standing on her feet again. Genie hovered beside her as the scenery around them changed. The world itself seemed to be turning steadily while the two of them stayed stationary and unaffected. Thick woods sprung up around them, the ground turned hard, and mustard yellow brick formed. The spinning world slowly stopped and in the distance in front of them Vicky saw the unmistakable figures of a spindly scarecrow, a lion, a silver tin man, and in her checkered blue dress and red braids, Dorothy herself. They faced a horizon of emerald buildings.

A strangled cry of joy blurted from Vicky's throat and she laughed weakly. "I watched this all the time with my grandma ..."

"Even I didn't know about visiting fictional stories until about three Masters ago. This is just a small demonstration, kid."

The Genie clapped his hands, the motion causing their entire surroundings to collapse and zoom like a bolt of lightning to meet his palms. Genie threw them up and sparkles rained down like leftover fireworks. Vicky lifted her forearm, but the sparks bounced off harmlessly. The moment they dissipated she staggered, a strong breeze whipping past where she now stood on solid rock on the top of a very steep cliff side, an ocean of churning blue water down below.

There was a shimmer of red before the Genie appeared, wearing a sparkling red robe. A royal blue sorcerers' hat perched on his head. The magical being was all smiles as he waved his hands about, causing the waters below them to dance and spray skyward. "The possibilities of your wishes are pretty much endless, Vicky. If you can think it, I can do it."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than did one of his hands get caught in the extravagant sleeve of his red robe. Genie frowned and shook his arm, ultimately causing a wave of water to splash towards him. Spluttering, he toppled backwards and the ocean below lurched skyward.

Vicky yelped as the scenery whirled about them madly. She sidestepped and tripped, her knees hitting familiar wooden floorboards. There was a great tremor, then things were still again.

It took her a few seconds to find her voice. "We're … we're back."

"Yup. Just a quick round-the-world trip this time, kiddo. Not to boast, but as much as you don't realize what all you could wish for, I don't want to overwhelm that young brain of yours."

Back to his usual self, the Genie focused on literally wringing his arms out, water dripping to the floor.

Vicky darted to the window and a quick glance showed her enough to know they were back where they belonged in the big tree in the yard. Slowly, she turned to regard her magical companion.

"So … anything? I can wish for anything and go anywhere?"

"Basically, but! Three rules! Remember, we went over this."

"Oh, yeah, yeah. No killing, no falling in love, no bringing people back from the dead." She smirked and tapped her noggin. "I got it all in here!"

Genie grinned. "Smartypants! I like that."

"Those are _all_ the rules, right?"

He straightened out his arms, hands folding meekly, and beamed a cheerful smile. "Yup."

* * *

They were at least the three rules that really mattered as far as she was concerned, so Genie felt no shame in lying.

It wasn't the first time he concealed the full truth that affected a previous Master's memory. They didn't lose anything other than remembering Genie existed. This was his first child to receive the lamp, so naturally things were going to be different, and in an interesting way.

Demonstrating the possibilities of what he could do for her had been marvelously fun. He rarely got to show off like that in front of someone who wasn't bellowing orders or turning up their nose at his humorous personality. So what if he got nothing in return? The sheer look of awestruck joy in the girl's eyes was payment enough to last him another hundred years in confinement. It really was more fun to give than to receive, more so when you knew you were giving good things over selfish ambition. He couldn't stop smiling.

"You finally starting to get it? All the fun you could have with this?" Genie asked, twirling a finger before pointing at the lamp.

Vicky didn't even look at it. She stared straight at him. "That … _that_ was fun."

Genie squinted then blinked and smacked his head, laughing. "Oh yeah, sure. Round trip around the world. Hehe. Where's the fun in that?"

"But it was," the child insisted. If he didn't know any better she could have turned a shade paler in her enthusiasm, but hey, she was smiling. As long as the kid was smiling they would be A-Okay.

Vicky met his gaze with widened eyes. "That … was … _awesome_."

Genie blushed red and spun aside. "Aw, c'mon."

"Could we do that again?"

"... Well if you want." He calmly turned himself around and folded his hands. He shrugged. "Up to you. But I'd think things through carefully if I were you. Make sure you know just what it is you want."

The orange-haired youth pressed her hands against her head and mutely stared off into the distance. Crickets chirped. Genie blinked and glanced out the window. Nighttime had settled in.

Whoops. "Note to self, remember to enable timing magic," he mumbled, grimacing sheepishly.

Vicky perked up. "It's nighttime? Oh no. Mom."

She set the lamp on a small table and turned on her heel for the bedroom window, but stopped and rounded on him. "Are you gonna stay here?"

"Technically I stay here, kiddo." He picked up the lamp, tossing it in the air before catching it skillfully. He glanced from side to side. "Buuut, long as it's in the tree house, sure, why not? I like wooden forts above ground."

"No. I mean ..." The girl took the tiniest step forward, suddenly loosing the general curious confidence she'd displayed before. Now she looked at him with big, worried eyes and gripped the end of one braid.

"You're not gonna go away and be gone tomorrow, are you?"

What a silly question. As if a genie bound to his lamp would decide to just up and leave the whole deal behind. From anybody else, the statement would be a bitter insult, but this was a little kid looking up at him, dead innocent. Kind of adorable, too, all things considered.

Genie laughed softly and shook his head. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I stay where my lamp stays, and my lamp stays with its Master. You got nothing to worry about; your wishes aren't going anywhere."

"You promise?"

"Sure thing. I promise you won't lose your wishes."

The girl pointed at him firmly and corrected, " _You_ won't go anywhere."

Genie blinked. Despite feeling confused, he lifted a hand and put the other over his heart in a crossing motion. "Promise."

Immediately Vicky relaxed, happy once again. "Great!" she chirped. "See you in the morning, Genie."

With that, she climbed into her bedroom window, leaving Genie alone. His arms fell limply to his sides as he stared ahead of himself, reviewing the little promise he'd made, and how quickly the youngster trusted him to keep it.

No one had ever seemed worried about losing him before. Attention was always on the wishes, not the one who granted them.

"Huh." Genie lowered himself into a seated position, scratching the top of his head. "Maybe this time it'll be ..."

Nice? Fun? Maybe this time he would have more than a Master. Perhaps, a friend?

Well, whatever it was, he certainly felt something he hadn't felt in a long time; Hope.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_ : I got inspired from the Disney Parks attraction _Soarin Around The World_ , and ended up with a tour of the world. Genie would be an awesome tour guide! **


	4. Wishful Thinking

It took forever for morning to come.

Genie shifted himself from one end of his circular confinement to the other, briefly casting the domed ceiling a glance. It wasn't that he couldn't leave the lamp- that little rule changed whenever he had a Master. He could come and go from the lamp when he so chose to, as long as he was within distance of the Master. But the tree house didn't do much other than grant him a small view of the sleepy, somewhat run down neighborhood street Vicky lived on. It made sense, as much as he disliked it, to return to the lamp for a good portion of the night and be content at the thought of coming back out to watch the sunrise.

But, good galaxies, the waiting was hard.

One night. About eight hours or so before morning and the kid would show up again. It would be helpful if he could simply sleep away the waiting time, but of course he didn't require sleep like mortals. He could sleep if he wanted, but there was no way it would happen while he was this excited.

Okay, impatient was more like it.

Genie halted and slapped a hand to the back of his skull, rolling his eyes.

"C'mon, Genie." He dragged his hands down his sloping face and groaned. He snorted. "You'd think this was your first Master or something."

Certainly not his first, but this Master was undeniably different. And different meant new, and new meant hope, and hope meant _fun_.

Genie felt his big blue heart race at the potential of it all. His Master hadn't shown so much as an inch of bad material since their meeting, a stark contrast to all the previous ones. He had no doubts that the trip around the world had left the girl utterly starstruck with the possibilities he could do for her. Just what would she end up wishing for?

"Know what? Enough with the nerves!"

Genie spun himself around and conjured up a black board and chalk. A determined smile set in his face, he began scribbling and drawing. While the result of Vicky's wish would undoubtedly be her decision, he saw no harm in jotting down a few ideas. For inspiration purposes.

And to get his mind off the wait.

Eventually, right when he was beginning to question if becoming the first princess of the moon was something he ought to edit off his list, the ringing noise of an alarm clock screeched throughout the lamp. Genie gasped, whizzing over to a cushion where said clock bounced around.

"It's time," he said, stilling and silencing the clock.

Taking a deep breath and smiling, inwardly hoping there wouldn't be any rain or cloud coverage, Genie carefully fizzed out of his lamp and unfurled at the tree house's window. The skyline above the row of rickety homes across the street was turning from dark blue to a warming orange. Silent as a ghost, Genie folded his smoky lower half and propped his elbows against the windowsill, grinning like a child and soaking up every little detail of the color-changing sky.

It had been a long time since he had the chance to just sit back and watch a natural sunrise. Even though he could conjure up a fireworks display of color and changing scenery, something about a calming sunrise spoke wonders to the blue genie. It was nice to just push the _pause_ button and take in the gentle yet brilliant scene.

In a way it seemed more magical than the whole of his powers.

The gentle creak of the wooden floorboards behind him told him he was about to have company. Genie swiveled around to see Vicky pause mid-step. She wore crinkled pajamas and her hair was loose and bushy from sleep. The child's eyes widened, more relieved than embarrassed.

"I just- I just wanted to see if you were still here."

Genie chose a lopsided smile and cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't think I'd break my promise, didja?"

"Nope. I thought it could've been a dream. This kind of stuff doesn't really happen, you know."

"You ain't dreaming, princess," he replied, flicking a blue wrist and grinning when the walls of the tree house glittered momentarily, causing Vicky's jaw to drop before she beamed at him.

Genie shifted to the side and gestured at the windowsill. "Wanna see something truly magical? Heh. And I have absolutely nothing to do with it this time."

Vicky trotted over and flung herself at the window, leaning out daringly. She grinned at the sunrise. "Magical. Right."

"Sure is," Genie said, resuming his position of leaning against the window. He gazed at the warming sky with a small smile. "I haven't seen one of these in a long time."

Vicky took a step back, blinking. When she spoke her voice was quiet and without the silly sarcasm from before. "Really? … How long?"

"Oh, probably decades."

Many of his previous Masters either made their wishes all in one breath and he was dismissed until the next person came along, or those who took their time kept the lamp hidden and made it clear they didn't _approve_ of Genie's company. So the lamp was where he spent most of his time.

The kid's brown eyes widened. "Be right back," Vicky chirped, spinning and clambering back through the window of her bedroom.

Genie blinked and shrugged, turning back to enjoy the sunrise.

When Vicky returned she carried two bowls, a milk carton and a box of cereal. "Here, I got breakfast," she announced, hopping for a moment after coming through the window, regaining her balance.

Genie turned himself around, unable to hide a sudden burst of laughter. He definitely could not recall the last time a Master of the lamp ever offered _him_ anything, whether he needed something or not. This was just plain cute.

They shared bowls of colorful, sugar-laced flakes shaped like flowers and watched the sunrise some more.

At one point Vicky narrowed her eyes at him from where she sat on the floorboards under the windowsill. Genie immediately inspected his arms and felt along his chin, conjuring up a linen napkin. "What, did I spill on myself?"

"You're not gonna, like … get sick, are you? Or fall down?"

"No."

Sure, she was proving to be a very thoughtful little girl, but that question was probably the most confusing so far. Genie scratched the back of his head using the napkin. " … Why?"

"Well, most people don't feel too good when they haven't eaten in a long time."

The blue being froze, eyes bulging. All at once he understood- Vicky heard him say he hadn't seen the sunrise in decades and must have decided that meant he had been trapped long enough to go without eating. Genie's face crumpled into a grin of amusement.

"Um, kid," he half snickered and tapped a finger on the top of her red noggin. "Remember yesterday? All that phenomenal, cosmic powers an' stuff? I'm not like ' _most people_.'"

The ten year old frowned. "But you're a living person, too."

"Eh, true, but I'm a genie. We don't need to sleep or eat constantly like you mortals do."

The child's eyes rounded. "Ohhh." She grinned. "That's amazing!"

"As a matter of fact, I could do to lose a little weight!" He shifted sideways, showing off his suddenly ballooning stomach. Genie scowled in mock shock. " _Oh!_ Look at that flab. That's gotta go."

Vicky coughed out a missile of cereal and milk, hacking and laughing at the same time.

Genie reached over to thump the youngster's back, smiling and shaking his head. "I know, I know. I'm just _full_ of surprises."

"Quit it!"

Genie smirked, knowing the statement was said in fun.

By the time the girl had regained her breath the sun had begun to stream past the skyline of trees and houses. Vicky got to her feet with a steadily growing smile. Genie sensed the big question on his mind for the whole night was about to make its grand entrance. He folded his arms, barely masking his anticipation.

"So kid, you know what your first wish is gonna be?" Even Genie was impressed at how casual he sounded.

Vicky's eyes lit up and she offered him a huge, somewhat nervous grin. "Uhh … maybe?"

"That's good!" Genie flew backwards a little and clasped his hands before beckoning, encouraging. "What's on your mind?"

"Yesterday. It was just … so … _awesome_."

Vicky waved her arms, gestured with her hands and made a series of noises that could only be described as choked wonder. She bounced on her toes. "I've never even left this town in my whole life! Well, no, I went to Ohio once, but I was just a baby then … I mean, I don't get to go anywhere ever, Genie! I just wanna do stuff like yesterday all over again, whenever I want. Is that okay?"

Genie listened to her excited chatter with nothing short of happiness and a massive, knowing smile. This was what he enjoyed. The uncontrollable joy and potential … Vicky was finally getting it. He continued to grin, despite casually waving his fingers.

"Yup. Go on."

"I want to explore the whole world!" The ten year old jumped as she made her proclamation.

Genie lifted himself higher, Vicky's enthusiasm contagious. "Now that sounds like a pretty cool wish."

"Only … I-I don't know _how_ to wish for it."

Vicky furrowed her brow and frowned, her excitement shifting to her fingers tapping the wood wall of the tree house. "Like, in a way that's safe and I could come and go without Mom worrying. Gotta think these things through, after all."

"Not many others in the past worried too much about details," Genie said, nodding.

The kid fixed her big brown eyes on him. "You have any ideas, Genie?"

 _Yes_.

Of course he did, he'd only stayed up all night jotting down scenarios and ideas that could be beneficial to the inquisitive little mortal.

And with that touch of his personal genie flair …

Genie puffed up and saluted, winking. "Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"Dylan. Hey, Dylan!"

Dylan Walker stopped on the sidewalk, the voice from above tearing his attention away from the fact his beloved skateboard was nestled under one arm, one of the wheels broken. The boy craned his head back in order to see the flash of orange-red leaning out from the tree house that nearly hung over the sidewalk. The twelve year old blinked against the glare of hot afternoon sunlight and squinted.

"Vicky?"

" _Dylan!_ " The younger girl grinned and waved like her arms were made of rubber. "Come up here! I wanna show you something!"

For a moment Dylan balked. Yeah sure, he knew Vicky the gearhead. But he didn't place the ten year old girl in his close circle of friends. He barely knew her, other than spotting her now and then racing on that dingy bike of hers with a bag stuffed with wires and scrap on her back. Kids liked to joke that she was a cyborg. She was that weird.

Why did she have to be shrieking at _him_?

"Come on," Vicky yelled.

The tree house ladder dropped to the ground even as Dylan glanced sideways, but no one else was present to Vicky's antics. He huffed and shook his head, stalking on over to the ladder.

"All right, all right. I'm coming," he said when Vicky danced in the opening above him. He slung his board inside first before yanking himself up.

The tree house was small and humid. He noted a rickety table covered with junk ranging from potato batteries and screws to a gold-tinted teapot.

Impatient, Vicky grabbed his arm and dragged him over to one of the walls decorated with a poster. "Look, look, look here!"

"All right already! Jeez." Dylan yanked free and focused on the poster.

It was a scene of snow, a towering cliff-side encased in ice stretching up to blue, clear sky. It looked like something out of one of the Ice Age movies, but …

Dylan leaned forward and whistled. "Man. Looks so clean. Like one of those 4K TVs."

Vicky brandished a wide grin at him. "That's not all." With a victorious laugh the shorter child plunged herself halfway into the poster.

Dylan froze.

Vicky's hips and legs were dangling into the tree house, her upper half laying smack dab _inside_ the poster. She pulled the rest of herself in before turning and outright yanking Dylan forward by his shirt. He landed with a thud against soft, icy cold snow. Cold zinged through his hands, up his arms. Sprawled out on his stomach, the boy lifted his head and stared, his voice stuck somewhere in the back of his freezing throat.

Maybe it was one of those fancy new Virtual Reality video games, but as soon as the thought entered he banished it. He would have seen the wires, the console, the computer, and in a tree house?

Vicky jumped from foot to foot ahead of him, shaking madly and grinning like a lunatic.

"Isn't this great? Just like going to Narnia, right? It's actually Antarctica. I just gotta find out how to get some actual coats without Mom getting suspicious-"

"What is this?" The words left Dylan in a very un-masculine shriek. He shook his arms and grabbed at his head, covering his near-frozen ears.

Vicky tipped her head and hugged herself. She still smiled. "It's magic. Really magic, Dylan!"

Dylan scrambled back and yelped, dropping backwards onto the tree house floor.

Vicky appeared in the poster on the wall, expression white and tinged in concern.

"You okay?"

"Nope."

Dylan rolled to his feet. In three seconds he'd grabbed his skateboard and plummeted to the ground.

"Nope, nope, nope."

He raced down the sweltering sidewalk, water from melting snowflakes dribbling down his head and arms. He didn't look back once.

Vicky shouted somewhere behind him. "We can go somewhere else if you'd like!"

* * *

Genie hung onto the edge of his lamp as he peered around it, the size of a bug, and watched with open curiosity and a slice of amusement when the boy rocketed out of the tree house before the snowflakes in his black hair even had a chance to melt. Next, Vicky tumbled out of the portal poster and ran to the window. Genie enlarged himself and peered over her shoulder as Dylan's figure raced off at full speed.

Vicky cringed and leaned out.

"We can go somewhere else if you'd like!"

Lost in her enthusiasm, Vicky dipped out too far out. Genie snatched the back of her pink shirt and pulled her back, but the ten year old hardly seemed concerned about falling out of windows. Vicky's head lowered.

Genie grasped his chin with a half-frown. "Y'know, _maybe_ throwing him face-first into the depths of Antarctica first thing wasn't the most, uh, how do I say this …? Diplomatic way to go?"

"I didn't want him to get scared," Vicky mumbled. She slumped against the wall, next to the magic-induced portal poster. The sheer elation and wonder on first using the portal poster was forgotten.

Genie stared into his creation and snapped his fingers.

The poster answered, immediately changing to a new scene of a lake flowing past purple and white mountains. He beamed. "Well, hey, you can still travel the world. Even if your little friend there freaked out and will probably have a couple nightmares …"

"He's _never_ going to come back."

Genie's brow furrowed. Kids and their plights were far different from the _I need more money_ , or else otherwise greedy adult-centered plans he'd had experience with. Vicky had wanted to impress Dylan with the portal she was so happy over. So much that she wanted to share it.

Genie tipped his head for a moment before his smile returned. "Eh, then it's his loss in the end," he waved his hand. "Just slow it down a little in the future when it comes to introducing magic to other kids, know what I'm saying? I mean, you yourself were kinda … _surprised_ when we first met."

He conjured up a notepad and pencil, squinting as he wrote. "'Reminder: Kids will easily be surprised. No more face-plants in the snow.' Okay! So, who's next?"

Vicky cringed. "Next?"

"Don't you have any other friends?"

Vicky's eyes widened before she fastened her gaze to the floor. Not once had the rambunctious child displayed signs of shame in front of him. Genie had hit the hammer on the nail. He lowered his floating frame into a sitting position, hands clasped loosely.

"Oh."

"I'm too weird for them." Vicky spat the words out under her breath. She folded her arms and tossed one of her braids over her shoulder. "'Cause I'm a gearhead… and I don't have any video games. They're right."

Genie frowned, trying to follow. "So, in these parts, the popular status is determined by what you have instead of who you are?"

"I'm just not like the other kids. Mom says I'm special." Vicky made quotation marks with her fingers. She scowled at the floorboards. "How special are you if no one else wants to be your friend?"

The kid's negative statement struck at something in Genie. He knew what those words felt like.

"Very special," he answered firmly. "Look, kid, I get it. Where we genies come from, and all that we do, I'm kind of considered abnormal, too."

Vicky blinked at him. "Why?"

In his mind's memory he reviewed the many hundred times someone frowned at him, bashed his well-placed joke or silly skit, roared at him to go back to his lamp and leave them alone for being too loud. Too random. Too ridiculous.

Genie gave a half nod to the side. "Because I'm too much fun."

The girl's eyes widened and she sputtered, "But there's nothing wrong with that!"

"Well, neither is being an inventor who doesn't have any video games."

"I just want some friends …" Vicky trailed off before she fixed him with a curious look. "Could I wish for friends?"

He immediately frowned. Most wishes involving relationships, as long as they avoided romantic love, usually ended up being his personal least favorite to grant. Because he knew the relationship was always fabricated. Real, true friendships were something people worked at together. Not because a powerful genie influenced one or the other to suddenly take interest in another being. Perhaps the fact they weren't genuine were the only times he ever felt honest sympathy for a Master whose wishes leaned into that area. Genie inhaled deeply, preparing for a bit of a steady explanatory speech.

"Well … you can. But I wouldn't. See, it's usually-"

"Would you wish for that?"

"What- Me?" Genie paused so abruptly that the tiny sprout of hair on the top of his head stood straight up. He put a hand over his chest.

"What would _I_ wish for?"

Vicky watched him closely and nodded.

"Oh, kid." Genie flashed a nervous smile. He clasped his hands and lowered his floating form, his equivalent of sliding to one's knees. "Well … I'd wish to be free."

"Free?" Vicky repeated with narrowing eyes.

Wordlessly, Genie fingered the golden cuff of one wrist. He shrugged as magic shimmered into the air from his fingertips.

"I mean, sure the powers and wishes are all spectacular, but they come with certain rules, you see." Tiny fireworks went off above their heads before being abruptly extinguished and replaced by chains and a lock. They vanished.

"I know the rules. You told me."

"Those aren't all of them."

He winced, recalling the very major memory-altering rule that would eventually have a say in Vicky's future. A future without a memory of him. "I'm not allowed to do anything other than grant wishes, Vic. I'm imprisoned to that lamp."

Vicky's wide-eyed gaze swung to the lamp on the table, then back to Genie. Wordlessly, the child shuffled to his side and reached out, setting her fingers on one of his gold-cuffed wrists as if she could literally feel his bondage to the lamp.

"Not free," she mumbled. "What if … what if I could wish you free?"

 _Wish him free?_

Genie blinked, not sure whether he could really count on the tiny flicker of hope. "That's something only you can do, kid."

The child shot around to face him.

"Then I'll do it!" A determined smile had bloomed over Vicky's face. "Then you won't have to be in a lamp-prison and you can do whatever you want. And we can still be friends, right?"

He blinked some more, eyes shifting sideways while his brain calculated what the child was saying. "Yeah. I don't see why not."

The memory rule wouldn't be activated. He would not only be free but remembered.

Genie smiled. "Of course we'd still be friends!"

Eyes lighting up, Vicky bounced forward and hugged him. Her skinny arms had no hope of wrapping around his thick, blue frame, but she hugged him anyway.

Genie hugged back with a tight smile. He could tell the little girl meant her words, but if his past dealing with humans had ever taught him anything it was that they could change their minds. Easily. And children, with their youthful minds, were especially prone to it.

But no matter. He wouldn't hold her to her word.

When Vicky stepped back she was still smiling. "Can I think about what my second wish will be, before I free you?"

Genie spread his arms apart, grinning. "You've got all the time in the world!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_ **: Merry Christmas (as of right now, when I'm writing this.)**

 **If you enjoyed the chapter, please hit that review button and let me know! What shenanigans should Vicky and Genie get into?**


	5. Disappointments

"Vic! I found a Toucan!"

Genie's hyper whisper echoed off of the massive tree trunks and reached Vicky. The redhead looked up a moment, but wherever the genie was, he was beyond her sight. The rain forest was incredibly dense, full of thriving greenery and amazing trees reaching to and nearly covering the sky like she had never seen before.

"That's great Genie," Vicky murmured with a smile.

They kept their voices low so that the blue being might have as much opportunity as possible to find and photograph the rare, tropical birds. "For my homemade postcards," Genie had explained briefly. Vicky sat crouched on a mostly flat boulder and fiddled with one of three potato batteries and the beat up smart phone she'd rescued from the junkyard.

Vicky wiped off dripping sweat from her forehead, knocking her safari hat askew. While the canopy of trees, leaves and vines almost eclipsed the sun, it did nothing to block the thick humidity.

All of a sudden the smart phone made a soft beep and the phone brand's logo lit up the screen. Vicky did a double take, making sure the phone was actually connected to the wire-mutated potato. Her heart soared.

"IT WORKS!"

The sound of several pairs of wings taking flight immediately echoed from all directions. Genie's voice releasing a despair-filled wail followed.

Vicky winced before calling, "Did you get a picture?"

A clump of vines shoved aside and Genie stepped into view, completely adorned in a khaki outfit, tube socks, binoculars, and a safari hat identical to the one Vicky had happily accepted to wear herself. Genie cradled his camera and nodded his long blue head from side to side.

"Sure, but our little birdie friend done spooked and took off for the sun." Genie whipped off his hat and a couple feathers fell to the forest floor.

"I'm sorry. Check it out!" Full of triumph, Vicky pointed at the phone resting in her palm.

" _Great Scott!_ Potato batteries for smart phones," Genie said after looking it over with a pleased nod. He lightly punched her knobby shoulder. "Looks like you've made a break through."

"I mean, I'm probably not the _first_ person to make a smart phone work through a potato."

Vicky scooted off the rock and gathered her objects. She paused, blinking. "I mean, I don't _think_ I am … maybe I am. That'd be super cool!"

"But it's a step in the right direction," Genie snapped his fingers, reciting the phrase she had stated many times before. Vicky beamed and together they turned and moved for the portal poster's frame levitating between a pair of giant trees.

Once they were back within the small confines of the tree house Genie snapped his fingers again and in a poof of magic Vicky's hat disappeared along with his safari ensemble. He swung his smoke-like tail around his wrist and smiled at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"I'm thinking tomorrow we should give Italy a shot."

Vicky's head snapped up, suddenly no longer interested in her personal scientific breakthrough. "We could get pizza!"

Genie grinned.

"Vicky?"

Immediately Genie shrank down out of sight as Vicky approached her bedroom window. Mom leaned out, her slender face amused, orange curls gathered smartly at the back of her head in her signature _I'm going out of the house_ style.

"Sorry to interrupt your free time, honey, but we're going to the store."

"Aw, Mom. I'm in the middle of science!"

Mrs. Levinson raised an eyebrow. "Well, science can wait another hour. And besides, I know something that'll turn that frown upside down." Mom cupped her face and grinned. "You can use your bike again."

The glorious news had Vicky pumping her fists in the air with a squeaky shriek of joy.

"But," Mom stressed, laying a firm hand on her daughter's shoulder in order to reign her back to attention. "Only as long as you promise _never_ to visit that junk yard without me. All right, Victoria? I need to be with you."

" … All right." Vicky's shoulders sagged only briefly at the terms, as it was a difficult sacrifice to make. Mom didn't leave the house for long periods at a time anymore while dealing with her sporadic migraines. Vicky wouldn't nearly get to explore and salvage items at the junk yard as often as she was used to.

Mom smiled and backed into the bedroom. "Get ready to go, okay?"

"Yup!"

Within moments Vicky had her potato batteries lined up in a corner, the old smart phone beside them. She caught sight of Genie, the size of a shoe hiding behind the old table. With a grin, she angled her head toward his lamp. Understanding the message, Genie lit up and zoomed into his lamp, a tiny stream of smoke and sparks trailing after him.

Vicky snatched up his lamp and tucked it into her backpack before racing downstairs.

* * *

"They've recalled _Henry's Tenders_ ," Mom said, frowning as she inspected the case of frozen foods.

Vicky hung onto their shopping cart by her arms lazily, doing her best to appear calm despite feeling a tad antsy. Somewhere in the store was Genie, she just hadn't noticed him yet. His powers were nothing to scoff at when it came to being in disguise, but she would feel better when she knew who and where he was.

Vicky reached one arm back to nudge her backpack. The bulge of the hidden lamp met her hand right where she'd left it and she relaxed. "No chicken?"

"We'll just have to give _Harry's Tenders_ a try." Mom dropped the cardboard box into the cart with a brief smirk. "Makes me wonder if these two companies are going to start a war between themselves again."

Vicky perched herself on the edge of the cart. "I like _Henry's_ better."

"Darn kids and their whining."

The gruff voice had mother and daughter swiveling their heads around to a stern-faced man wearing a crumpled black outfit and wheeling a cart overflowing with mismatched prepackaged foods. He continued to gripe under his breath, especially when his cart ran into the booth of frozen foods Vicky and her Mom stood by. Frozen packages tumbled to the floor and he muttered a curse.

Mom began to move forward, but Vicky darted to help instead.

The man glared at her. "You don't work here, missy."

"I might one day," Vicky shot back. "I've been shopping here since I was a little kid. I can tell you where to find anything."

The sour man raised an eyebrow. "Which aisle has the vinegar?"

"Eight."

"You're wrong. It's seven, next to condiments and salad dressings."

Vicky shook her head. "That was before they changed the layout a few weeks back. Now it's right before all the baking stuff."

A perplexed frown met her before the man snatched a box of frozen nuggets from her reaching hands. "Think you're smarter than me, kid?"

"Hey, c'mon, stranger! There's no need to be so grumpy."

Vicky smiled, already guessing the voice's identity. The appearance of the person it belonged to gave her a bit of a jolt.. An incredibly sun burned stranger in a flashy Hawaiian shirt, ball cap and massive aviator sunglasses beamed at them. If not for the cheerful voice, the long, thin black beard gave him away. Vicky grinned.

The man she'd been speaking with dumped his items back into his cart only for two packages to slide back out. "I'm grumpy when people don't mind their own business."

Disguised-Genie held up his hands, still wearing a comfortable smile. "Hey, the kid here volunteered to give ya a hand. After you grouched about her, too. Lighten up, pal."

The grumpy man actually arched an eyebrow, examining Genie's tomato-red appearance. "Shoulda followed your own advice," he mumbled, wheeling his cart away. He sent Genie one last glare. "And you got some hearin'!"

Genie swung an empty shopping basket around his arm. "What kinda potato chips do you recommend, Miss Grocery Store Queen?"

"Cheddar," Vicky answered. He held up a hand and she slammed a high-five before Genie waltzed off and Vicky turned back to her Mom, already wondering what she might think of the sun-burnt stranger.

Mom was chatting with a tall, dark-skinned woman, both of them smiling. Vicky caught her breath, recognizing the striking lady. She was Dylan's mom.

" … you could try peppermint oil," Dylan's mom was saying, pointing to one of her wrists, just beneath a sparkling bracelet with a _Mom_ charm hanging off it. "Little bit of that and my headaches are gone. See if that helps."

"Vicky," Mom turned to her. "You remember Dylan's mom, Mrs. Randall?"

Vicky smiled and said a convincing hello. All she could think about was Dylan, racing out of her magic portal poster and leaving the tree house, and her, behind as if they were a contagious disease. Dylan's mom didn't seem worried at the sight of her, at least.

Mrs. Randall snapped her fingers. "That reminds me, Dylan and some of the kids from our street want to go see that big superhero movie tonight." She tilted her head toward Vicky and looked at her mother, her voice rich with kindness. "Bob and I are taking them, but there's room for one more if you're okay with it."

"What do you think, Vicky?" Mom was smiling, so naturally. Neither woman had a clue about Dylan and Vicky's encounter. "You can bike to their house if you want."

It seemed like it was meant to be, her getting her bike back and now an invitation to join the other kids at the movies. Then maybe she could talk to Dylan, see how he was, maybe make up some kind of excuse for the poster incident. Make everything all better.

Vicky brightened. "Sure!"

Then there was Dylan, coming out of the chip aisle with two bags of cheese puffs stuffed under his arms. He saw Vicky and froze.

"Dylan, honey!" Mrs. Randall waved him over. "Guess who's coming with us to see _Rising Robot_?"

Dylan's cold eyes swung back to Vicky.

She offered a timid wave and settled for telling herself things would work out in the end.

* * *

Only an hour after they had arrived back home Dylan showed up on the sidewalk in front of the tree house.

Genie peered out the tree house's window and winced, withdrawing back out of sight. Vicky was currently bent over the old coffee table, fiddling with her potato batteries, one hand reaching into a bag of orange cheddar-flavored chips every so often. She wore her aviator goggles lovingly around her neck, one side carrying mismatched screws and bolts.

Genie drummed his fingertips against his chin before saying carefully, "So, uh … any plans on how to talk to Dylan?"

"I'm just gonna try again. Start over." Vicky's answer was so simple. She didn't even glance up from her work.

Again he winced. "Soo … what if you got the chance to see him before you went to the movie?"

That got her attention. Vicky looked from his uneasy face to the window before scrambling over. Her shoulders drooped. "It's Dylan."

Without another word, Vicky tore off through her bedroom window and was heard pounding down the stairs. Genie knotted his brow, rubbing his chin as he wondered why she hadn't bothered using the ladder. But maybe that was for Dylan's sake.

He floated over and dipped down low beneath the window overlooking the sidewalk and stretched his hearing. Despite how much Genie hoped for it, he was having a hard time seeing how Vicky could explain or dismiss the event that had left the boy scared out of his wits without telling the truth. That might or might not end well.

"Hi, Dylan!"

Vicky's voice was drifting up to Genie, abnormally bubbly and hasty as she greeted the other child, and launched into talk about the movie they were going to be seeing, how nice Dylan's mom was, how it all worked out and was going to be so much fun, and she was able to ride her bike again-

"I don't want you to come."

Dylan's straightforward voice had Genie's eyes widening in surprise.

Resolved, he transformed into a bumblebee. He buzzed out the window and lazily zigzagged a flight pattern that gave him ample view of the two kids.

Vicky and Dylan stood facing each other. The little girl was frozen, her hands at her chest, gripping her goggles, a look of hope mixed up with worry sketched out on her young face.

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Dylan added. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and sent a wary look up at the tree house. "You know."

"What? No, no!" Vicky waved her hands in front of herself. "That day was just-"

" _No_. Don't even talk about it."

Dylan raised his voice before quickly regaining composure, balling his fists. "You're too freaky," he said under his breath before sighing. "Just … don't come tonight."

"But … but nothing bad will happen. Promise. I wanna be your friend. Please?"

Dylan frowned and shook his head. "Uh uh. You're just way too … No. So just … don't bother coming tonight, 'kay?"

Vicky stared him down, gripping and fumbling with one of her braids, but when Dylan made no attempt at changing his mind she blinked back tears.

Dylan cringed, but kept frowning. The boy sent the tree house one last wary glare before he rolled off on his skateboard. Vicky watched him leave and disappear down the street before wrenching her goggles over and off her head. She threw them in the grass.

Genie flew sideways to avoid being hit by a flying screw and watched as Vicky stormed into the house.

He buzzed sadly. "Oh, boy, kid."

He poofed back into his regular Genie form, materializing in Vicky's bedroom just as she entered. "Kid-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Vicky slammed her door before outright kicking at her nightlight in a corner of the far wall. The bulb shattered.

She rounded on him. "Were you listening?"

He answered with a somber nod. "Vic … I'm sorry, kiddo."

"Well, who needs him? He's a big meanie butt. And I'm gonna tell him that next time he comes near me and my house."

Genie narrowed his eyes only a second and wisely chose not to point out the boy would likely do all he could to stay far away from the site where he'd been scared so badly.

"Meanie butt? Well, I suppose that's one word for it. He doesn't know what he's missing with two World Travelers such as ourselves." Genie shrugged and managed a smile. "Guess it just means more pizza for us, eh?"

Vicky stomped around her room, ignoring his attempt at diverting her attention to something more optimistic. The tears he had glimpsed were long gone, replaced with a stormy scowl and blazing eyes.

Genie folded his arms and observed while he tried to think of some way to diffuse the mounting tension in the room. If he had thought things through when she first decided to show Dylan the portal poster, he might have recalled how Vicky herself had reacted negatively at first discovering him before realizing there wasn't anything to be afraid of. Understanding magic came later. Dylan had literally been thrown into the whole mess of it without so much as a life jacket for comfort.

When Vicky crouched to the floor and began stuffing her backpack with granola bars and a flashlight, Genie raised an eyebrow. He hoped she was planning a trip through the poster.

"Going somewhere, Vic?"

"Yeah. The junk yard."

* * *

The words left her mouth even as she wedged her flashlight past an old wrench she'd once salvaged from the junk yard itself. That was she she went whenever she needed to get her mind off of things. It was full of discarded treasures no one wanted anything to do with and no one else ever went there, so she fit right in.

Genie's eyelids could actually be heard blinking in alarm.

"Junk yard … Whoa, whoa, hang on a sec. _Danger, Vicky Levinson!_ "

She looked up from her backpack to see Genie flashing a large red siren off the top of his head before he bent over, motioning a time out frantically with his hands. "Kid, what about your mother?"

Vicky pressed her lips together and glowered at the bag on the floor. "She still thinks I'm going over to that stupid-head's house."

"But you promised her you'd never go back there." A four-fingered blue hand stopped her from her packing. Genie's angular blue face was surprisingly without its normal humor. Vicky frowned. The seriousness in his eyes was way too much like one of the looks Mom would have given her. She tugged at the bag.

"I know you're mad, Vic, but c'mon. You gotta think things through." Reluctantly, Genie released the backpack and Vicky clambered to her feet, holding it close and determined.

"The junk yard is where I always go, Genie. Okay? I go there because I don't have any friends."

The blue being rose up to full height, brow furrowing. In an almost emotionless voice, Genie stated, "That's not true, Vicky."

"Look, I'm going! I wanna get away from this stupid neighborhood."

"Then let's go through the poster or something, huh? What do ya say?" Genie spun around towards the window. "Maybe a dip in the pacific, or a slice of mozzarella from Italy. I'm torn between Rome or Naples."

"I'm going to the junk yard, Genie. You're coming with me … right?"

Genie turned, his expression a little darker. "Really, Vic? That soon?"

"What?"

"You got your bike back from your mother, promised her you wouldn't go back to one specific place, then go back on your word all in one day. I mean, I know you're mad at Dylan, but does that mean you're allowed to break trust like that?"

Genie's face turned from displeasure to worry. He glanced at the door as if he could see Mom waiting down the stairs. He gestured. "She's just trying to make sure you're safe."

For a long moment Vicky could only stare and blink. Finally she shrugged and spluttered, "I do this all the time, Genie! Mom never wants me near the junk yard, but I go. And it's _not dangerous_."

She crossed her arms. "'Sides, we go all over the world and she doesn't know. What's the difference?"

Genie's cold answer was two blunt words. "A promise."

Vicky scowled and looked away. Somehow she thought Genie would understand. This was what she wanted. The junk yard meant something to her when everyone else thought it was junk, or in Mom's case, unsafe. "You're just like everyone else!"

A faint fizzing sound made her look up. Genie was gone. Moving over to the window, Vicky spied his lamp in the tree house, shifted sideways when the genie returned to its interior.

The ten year old snarled and banged the window shut before snatching her backpack and heading downstairs. After calling out a lame-sounding goodbye for Mom, who was resting in her bedroom, Vicky stalked outside but came to a stop beneath the tree house. She huffed a sigh and scrambled up the ladder.

Without a word, Vicky grabbed Genie's lamp and stuffed it into her bag.

For once, as she pedaled her way down the street on a course for the forbidden junk yard, a hint of guilt swirled up in her gut. Remembering what Dylan had said quickly squashed the uneasy feelings, and with a scowl of determination, Vicky didn't look back.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_ : I'd totally go to Italy with Genie for some pizza. **

**Reviews are appreciated as always!**


	6. Junk Yard Jumpscare

Genie slouched sideways, resting his long chin in the palm of his hand as he regarded his reflection in the mirrors. "Eh, who am I kidding? I should've known better."

One of his reflections ticked his fingers together, offering a small smile. "But the kid didn't give up on _your_ promise, right?"

"Does it matter?" another reflection scoffed, raising a lazy hand. "She broke a promise like _that_." He snapped his blue fingers. "In one day. How's that exactly helpful for us in the long run?''

"It don't look too promising," Genie agreed with his clones, eyes downcast and barely acknowledging their movements. He was the one expressing himself through them, so it weren't as though he was missing out on anything unexpected.

"So, what now?" the second clone pressed. "We've got nothing to hope for after all with the kid. She won't set us free."

"Maybe she will," the first clone murmured, shrugging. "You never know. That's our motto, right? Gotta stay positive somehow."

"Positive? All we've got is a selfish little ten year old mortal stringing us along!"

At that, Genie straightened and glanced between his reflections. He frowned.

"She's only ten," he repeated, more to himself. "Ten years old and she went and got her heart broken just 'cause she wanted a friend."

His positive clone leaned over. "She's still got you."

"I've still got her." Genie smirked sadly, knowing his words had no true affect on the conjured clones in the mirrors. He sent the reflections a bittersweet smile.

"And she's more of a real friend than the whole lot of you." He waved his hand, dispersing the conjured clones.

Yeah, he should have known better than to take Vicky's promise to wish him free in the end seriously, due to the simple fact of her immaturity. But boy, it had been too easy to hope anyway. And he knew deep down he still would, but he would have to remind himself not to hold her to it. Because he knew one thing- the friendship he'd had with Vicky was a gift he wasn't about to toss aside. In just a short time he'd found out how important having a real friend was. To the point where he didn't even remember she was technically his master.

But, was friendship more important than freedom?

"Aw, cut her some slack, big guy," Genie told himself, turning and flopping over one of the cushions of his lamp's interior. The serious thoughts in his head were kind of discomforting. He was supposed to be optimistic, after all. Funny how at one time all he ever wanted was his freedom. Now his friendship with a young mortal was challenging everything.

He shook himself, conjuring a hankie to wipe his brow. "Whether she wishes me free or not, I gotta pull the plug on all this worrying about it …"

The lamp walls shivered, announcing his latest master about to summon him from his itty bitty living space. Genie started a small smile, expecting to encounter some awkwardness with Vicky after their disagreement, but it vanished when he heard her shout at the top of her lungs from somewhere outside the lamp.

"Genie, I wish for you to save me from the bad guys!"

* * *

Vicky paused to take in the somewhat monstrous atmosphere she currently stalked through. Piles of crashed old cars, broken equipment, pots and pans and metals and old electronics- basically anything you could imagine in a state of disrepair or abandonment formed thick, tall mounds scattered all over the old field just outside of town. The sky framed the piles in deep hues of orange, turning into night sky. She'd never come here before when it was almost night. Mom was going to ground her for eternity when she found out.

And Mom would find out.

Vicky tried not to care about that too much.

The child scowled as her eyes scanned the piles of random junk around her, stomping past a busted beach chair she'd sometimes take a seat in in the past. The excitement she had normally when looking for new possible finds was gone, and that just mad her feel even worse.

"It's not dangerous here," Vicky grumbled, her mind once more replaying the heated discussion she'd had with Genie before he vanished into the lamp. She kicked at a dented toaster and growled out a sigh, rounding the next mound of junk.

Her feet shuffled to a stop out of sheer surprise.

Bending down to inspect a rusted car bumper was a man.

Hearing her movements, he slowly straightened up and turned towards Vicky. His stony, nearly careless expression made her frown. He looked like he belonged in one of the criminal pictures that would have been shown on the evening news.

The man blinked several times. "Hey kid. Didn't think anyone was out 'ere."

Vicky's tongue was numb in her mouth. That was exactly what she was always saying. It was one of her best defenses with Mom. Nobody ever went near the junk yard. Or so she'd thought.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You alone out here?"

"No."

It wasn't a lie. The lamp was tucked inside her backpack, hanging lazily over one shoulder. She had Genie.

"Mm-hm-hm." The man's gaze shifted around before landing on Vicky again, his expression calculating. It sent a warning jolt down her spine and without a word Vicky turned on her heel, briskly making her way back to the entrance. Where her bike was waiting.

Footsteps crunched among the random items littering the ground behind her. Vicky increased her pace to a hasty trot and spared a small glance over her shoulder. She was being followed, the man looking as careless as before, but his eyes were tracking her. Their gazes met and Vicky sucked in a sharp breath, bursting into a full fledged run.

She _had_ to reach her bike.

Vicky careened around one of the last junk piles, expecting to see a clear path between herself and the bike she'd left just inside the broken old fence gate that bordered the junk yard's field. Instead she ran smack dab into a tall, black figure. They immediately grasped her arms and shoved her back to get a look at her.

Dumbly, Vicky stared up at the face of the grumpy man she and Genie had encountered at the grocery store earlier.

He scowled. "What're you _doin'_ out here, girl?"

"You-You gotta help me, sir," Vicky panted. She started to turn and point to the second man who was approaching, but the man's rough grip didn't loosen. She snapped back to look at him. He was frowning at the guy who had chased her. And just past him, parked right next to her bike fallen on the ground, was a car.

"What're you waiting for?" the man who had chased her called. "Pete, stop glaring. We gotta go."

Vicky's heart nearly stopped. They knew each other.

Pete spared her one look, a tiny flash of hesitation in his face, but it soon vanished. He began to haul Vicky toward the car.

She tried to scream, but her throat had constricted. Her eyes widened; her brain was ordering her throat to scream but it just wasn't happening. All that came out was a hoarse squeak.

When the second man popped open the trunk to the car, panic surged inside her stomach. Vicky thrashed and kicked, managing to break free. She darted off only a few steps, slinging her bag around and feeling inside, before the man caught her wrist.

"Genie," Vicky's voice wobbled, her fingers brushing over the metal of the lamp. She screamed, "Genie, I wish for you to save me from the bad guys!"

Nothing happened.

Her heart sunk.

The man cursed and they were back to struggling, her captor half-dragging Vicky to the car again. She started screaming and Pete cursed some more. "Willy, do something useful and help me out here."

Willy had just taken hold of Vicky's furiously kicking legs when a blinding flash of light came from out of nowhere.

Vicky's captors cried out and all three of them staggered backwards a little. Her vision came back slowly, and she suspected the same for the men, the grumpy one removing one of his hands to rub at his face. He cursed.

"What was that?"

"It's not cops, is it?"

Another gruff curse. "Hurry up."

They started to shift forward again, Vicky holding her breath.

And then the ground shuddered.

From just beyond the heaping mountains of items in the junk yard, a storm of blue smoke churned and sparked, the sky overhead going instantly dark. A giant blue mass separated from the smoke, massive arms crossed across its chest, the long face sharp with disapproval.

Vicky jerked forward. "Genie!"

He was the size of a three-story building and his presence had the two kidnappers frozen where they stood. No doubt the added effects in the background helped too.

Genie leaned over, propping an arm on his smoking hip and glowered. "If you bad guys are working for Bowser, lemme tell you this, that's not the right princess."

His expression turned dangerous, red rimming his pupils. One of his hands pointed, hovering down closer to them. "Let her go _now_."

Vicky was dropped like a hot potato, only to land in Genie's large palm. She sat up and peered over his fingers, watching as the men hollered in fear and scrambled into their car, but Genie brought his other hand up, blocking her view, carrying her away from the ground. Vicky hugged herself until the sound of the car racing off faster than the average speed demon was the last that could be heard of the almost-kidnappers.

Genie grunted and mumbled something about crazy mortals. "Well, those two are bound to have a couple nightmares. I oughta give their car a little push in the direction of the nearest police station, see how they handle that."

Vicky didn't move. She waited for her heart to calm down. It didn't.

"Vicky?"

Genie's cupped hands brought her closer. When she turned around, his long blue face was worried.

"Kid, say something. C'mon, you're freaking me out with those huge wardrobe eyes, I could look for Narnia in there."

" … Genie?"

"Yes?"

Her voice quivered. "I'm-I'm scared."

Something like understanding passed over his face, she didn't know what really. Maybe he'd been scared too.

"It's okay now, Vic."

Genie bent over and used a fingertip to pick up her bag, and the lamp inside. "C'mon. Here's your backpack," he said, passing it to her. Vicky crushed it to her chest in silence, feeling like if she opened her mouth again the screaming she should have done much earlier was finally going to show up.

Genie patted her back, murmuring, "It's okay, it's gonna be fine," before a cloud of magic swirled around them, transporting them home.

They landed in Vicky's room, Genie his usual size as he set her down before placing his hands on her shoulders, expression somber. "You gotta go tell your mom, Vic."

Vicky nodded, swallowing nervously and fighting down tears. "Genie … Genie I-I'm sorry. I should've listen-"

"No, no, no. Don't you worry about that. Go find your mom, Vic. You need to tell her what happened."

He offered a small smile, genuine encouragement lighting up his face. "Hey. No hard feelings here, kid." He gently herded her with a hand toward the door. "We'll talk later if you really want, but you got more important things to take care of first."

He was right. Mom was likely going to want to call the police once she found out about the would-be-kidnappers. Sooner the better. Vicky took a deep breath and turned, first retrieving the lamp and setting it safely on the windowsill, then tackled the blue genie before he could poof back inside.

"Thank you, Genie."

"Aw, Vic. Wish or no wish, I can't let anything happen to my best friend."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_ : Anybody else see the live action _Aladdin_ yet? It's fantastic. I keep playing the soundtrack.**

 **It was my intention to mimic the original event in _Aladdin_ in which the second wish is used to save the master of the lamp from a crisis. Vicky may have used her second wish, but that doesn't mean there won't be more wishes to come down the road … -insert mysterious music here-**

 **If you're enjoying the story, please leave a review!**


	7. Blue Nightlight

Helen Levinson inhaled sharply, eyes flying open. Her daughter's bedroom hadn't changed in the short amount of time she'd been asleep. A calm blue glow bathed the small room in soothing light, the window was locked shut, and Vicky was nestled against her as if she were three years old again. Helen watched the rise and fall of her child's rib cage and relaxed, thankful Vicky was at least getting some sleep.

The night before had been a nightmare when Vicky showed up, freshly escaped a would-be-kidnapping attempt while at the junk yard.

Helen had felt like yelling, _I told you not to go there_ , _I knew it wasn't safe_ , but she'd bit her tongue. The sheer panic in her daughter's eyes told her Vicky understood now, the lesson her mother had tried to teach her over and over again. It had only taken a scary brush with danger to get it through her stubborn red head.

Then there was the visits to the police station and interviews. Vicky had had to describe the two men in detail, and Helen felt sick on realizing one of them had been encountered at the grocery store. They didn't say it in front of Vicky, but both Helen and the officers they'd spoken with had a suspicion it could have been planned. Possibly.

You'd hear about stuff like that happening in other towns, other neighborhoods, but when it actually happened in your own area, suddenly the world wasn't as safe as it once was.

Helen shifted slightly, not having much room to work with in her daughter's small bed. Vicky's usual vibrancy had seemingly drained after the initial shock of it all and she'd become clingy for her mother. Helen knew there were nightmares involved, that was why she wasn't sleeping well. Neither was she, but what did that matter? Vicky needed her.

Helen pressed her cheek against her daughter's crazy orange hair and sighed, her eyes sliding across the quiet bedroom. It hit her how different the soft light was and she peered over at the corner wall, where the nightlight was plugged in.

The bulb was blue.

Helen blinked. She hadn't noticed that the night before. She probably wasn't paying attention to lots of things lately. The oddly colored bulb must have been one of Vicky's previous finds, she decided, settling down again and trying to sleep.

The blue light actually seemed more calming than a normal one.

* * *

"Thanks for being my new nightlight. I promise I'll get a new one."

Genie shrugged his broad shoulders, smiling softly. "Heh, well the thing is, I've kind of discovered the joy of shadow puppets."

He conjured up a flashlight in midair and folded his hands together, projecting the shape of a fish along the ceiling. The shadow continued to swim even when he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish. "In fact I've kinda got this whole shadow puppet production going on in my head … I'm calling it _Sock Kingdom_ , but, um … Eh, the title's still a work in ..."

He blinked when Vicky absently collapsed on the floor beside her bed, and wondered if the child had even heard him.

" … progress."

Usually the young inventor was readily interested in his antics, always eager to join in and add her own ideas.

Immediately after bringing the kid home from the junk yard, the genie knew things weren't exactly going to be smooth sailing around here like he was used. It had been two days since the incident with the almost-kidnappers, and in that time Vicky hardly left her mother's side, especially at night. Police officers had come by for a full report on the two suspects, the local news made a visit, and various curious, more nosy than concerned neighbors dropped by, wanting to hear the details themselves. Genie had had to keep to himself, out of sight, while his young Master and her mother dealt with the aftermath of Vicky's near abduction and the news it caused throughout the small town.

"Vic?" He sent the swimming fish shadow from the ceiling to fluttering across the floor by the bed.

The ten year old jumped a little and glanced up, idly chewing one of her braids. She blinked.

"Sorry, Genie … I didn't-didn't hear you. Sorry you've been stuffed up in here while all this," she scowled, "wacky stuff happens. I'm hiding from two neighbors we didn't even know we had, but they wanted to come and see us anyway."

Genie shrugged once more. "It's fine, Vic."

Not like he wasn't used to long amounts of confinement with only himself for company. There wasn't much he could do at the moment other than take over nightlight duty, but hey, it was something; Vicky and her mother had to deal with these things themselves.

He bent over, lightly poking the girl's shoulder. "Trust me, I've gone a lot longer than two days all by myself. I'm a big boy, okay?" To make a point, his torso inflated like a balloon, though quickly turning to flab instead of retaining a muscular appearance.

Genie pouted down at himself, arms crossing. "Darn it, I shoulda started that diet weeks ago."

He heard a giggle. "Genie …"

"Okay, okay." He chuckled to himself, his torso resuming its normal look. "All jokes aside though, Vic … you know I'm always here when you need me. If you need to talk."

The child's expression turned gloomy. "The whole _world_ knows, Genie. I just want it to be over."

Genie rubbed his chin and turned to a floating TV screen he'd summoned, the local news channel turned on and showing security footage of one of the men entering and leaving the grocery store.

"Not the whole world, technically, but you got to admit it's so that they can try and catch the guys as soon as possible."

He heard a despair-filled moan and turned to see Vicky flopping sideways against the floor.

Realizing his mistake, Genie quickly got rid of the TV, wincing. "Sorry."

"Vicky? Can you come down here?"

The scrawny girl huffed and didn't move. "I don't wanna see anyone, Mom. Leave me alone."

"Mrs. Randall is here, Victoria. I'd like you to come downstairs."

Genie grimaced. "Ouch," he whispered. "The full name. She means business."

Evidently Vicky must have agreed, judging by the sharp intake of breath. She scampered to her feet, her youthful face weighted with unease. She stood staring at the door for one long moment. Turning, the girl carefully picked up his lamp from the windowsill.

"Um, Genie?" She held out the golden item. "Can you come with me?"

"Sure thing."

Rising up, he saluted with a wink before diving down the spout. He made sure to knock on the upper lid of his tiny confinement to let Vicky know he was good. In response, Vicky kept one of her fingers underneath the lid for him. His lamp swayed in time to the movement's of the child that carried him downstairs.

As she came to a stop a kind, rich voice greeted, "How are you doing, Vicky?"

Genie couldn't help himself, ever so slightly peering one eye through the crack between the lamp and the lid. He saw part of the dining room, the table and chairs slathered in clutter and groceries that had yet to be put away, likely forgotten in all the hubbub. Mrs. Levinson sat, idly massaging her temple. Across from Vicky's mom was a stunning woman with bright eyes and warm brown skin, her face framed by thick dark hair. Her expression held just as much care and concern as her voice did. Dylan's mom.

And standing at the wall just behind Mrs. Randall, Dylan.

Vicky's fingers tightened around his lamp. "M'kay," she mumbled.

"What do you got there, honey? My, that's a lovely trinket."

"It's an old lamp. Oil lamp, I-I think." For a moment Vicky lifted the lid, despite the fact no one else could see the blue being from the angle he was in.

Genie flashed the kid a supportive thumbs up.

"One of her rare finds from the junk yard," Mrs. Levinson added softly.

"Ah," Mrs. Randall nodded, a small smile on her face. Her voice took on a more solemn tone. "Vicky, I wanted to come here personally and see how you and your mom were doing. I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this. I know it must have been very frightening for you, and Helen. Heaven knows how I would have acted if it was my baby that was almost kidnapped."

Genie blinked his gaze over to Dylan for a moment. The boy watched and listened, arms crossed loosely, looking sheepish just from being there.

Mrs. Randall continued, "Anyway, we're here to let you both know if there's anything, and I mean _anything_ that you two need, whether it's food picked up from the store or some company for no reason at all, you let Bob and me know. We both feel somewhat responsible for not making sure Vicky was truly all right. We were busy and took our son's word for it." She glanced at Dylan, disappointment in her strong eyes. The boy winced, and Genie wondered if he'd already had a lecture by the steadfast lady prior to their arrival.

"It's not really anyone's fault," Mrs. Levinson sighed, but the other woman shook her head. "And I'm not saying it is, but I know things could have gone very differently if we'd taken more initiative … And I'm sure we're all too thankful things _didn't_ end up another way, that Vicky is safe. Everyone in town is on the lookout for those two suspects." She turned to Dylan, quietly clearing her throat.

"Dylan? Do you have something to say?"

Genie's lamp shifted back a little, the child's hands tensing around it. Still being as careful as ever, Genie peeked through the crack between the lid.

Dylan moved forward, his uncertain eyes glancing Vicky over, as if unable to fully meet her gaze. A soft murmur from his mom had the boy let out a sigh and meet her eyes.

"Sorry …Vicky. It was mean for me to … to, uh say those things to you and make you all mad …" His voice grew hollow with regret. "I feel real bad."

Genie blinked and rubbed the back of his head. Dylan's apology may have seemed instigated by his mom at first, but maybe it wasn't fully her idea after all.

"Hmph. Yeah, right."

Genie looked up before the lamp rocked. Vicky was shouting now. "You didn't feel bad when you came over and told me you didn't want me to come!"

Mrs. Levinson said something, he heard a chair scooting back, but Vicky must have stepped away, judging by how the lamp lurched about. "No, Mom! He's just saying 'Sorry' 'cause of his mom. She told him to. He doesn't really care. I'm too _freaky_ to be his friend."

"Now, wait just a minute young lady-"

The lid to the lamp closed all the way. The last thing Genie heard from the two ladies downstairs was Mrs. Randall's calming voice suggesting Vicky just needed time, and his Master's footsteps pounding back up to her room.

* * *

Vicky banged her bedroom door shut. She stalked into the middle of the room and paced, tears forming in her eyes. Mrs. Randall may have been worried about them, maybe one of the few people who seemed genuinely concerned, but Vicky knew better when it came to her son. He'd rejected her. Wanted nothing to do with a freak who made mistakes like throwing him straight into Antarctica, or nearly getting abducted at the junk yard.

Nothing was right anymore, and somehow it was all her fault.

Genie's tell-tale magical _poof_ sounded as he emerged from the lamp in her hands, but Vicky looked away. She sniffled.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Genie."

She heard a deep sigh. "As you wish."

The phrase made the girl's stomach clench. _Wishes_. Due to the whirlwind that had come over the Levinson household, Vicky hadn't had a chance to talk about the second wish being used up unexpectedly, or what it now meant for the future. They both knew she only had one left, and then …

She looked up but Genie had vanished.

* * *

He was hit with only the best plot twist ever a few minutes after midnight.

"The princess discovers that all this time she's actually been … colorblind!"

A shadow of a sock wearing a tutu reared back in shock on the wall above the bed where Vicky slept. Across the room, in the form of a big, blue nightlight bulb, Genie's eyes sparked with new inspiration. Various other shadow puppets converged across the wall, conducted by his imagination. They went through surprise, then determination to find out how to undo the spell the sock princess was under.

For a moment Genie glowed a little brighter. "Hang on. What if they were _all_ colorblind?"

The genie hastily zipped his lips together to keep a thrilled yell in his throat, or else disturb the little girl who slept with not a clue to the Genie's private performance he orchestrated, or the brainstorming he was in the middle of. It was the first night his Master was trying to sleep without her mom in the same room. Genie may have been able to provide some comfort in keeping the bedroom lit with a peaceful glow, but nightmares weren't something he could be certain to keep fully at bay.

As his shadow puppets rushed around the wall in a panic, a soft whine reached his ears, followed by a shaky intake of breath. The mattress creaked as Vicky rolled over, pushing up on one elbow to peer at the clock on her nightstand. Whining, the child fell back against her pillow.

Genie shifted into his genie-form and hovered nearby, lamely rubbing one his bracelets. He made to speak, but ended up humming in his mouth. He had forgotten the zipper. Lightly rolling his eyes at himself, the zipper vanished.

His freed mouth smiled cautiously. "That's better … Can't sleep?"

A pathetic, slightly wobbly voice answered. "No." Vicky furrowed her brow, staring at the ceiling. "Don't tell Mom."

"Aw, now Vic, I'm sure she'd understand if you need her-"

"I don't _want_ to need her. I'm a big girl, I'm ten years old. That's like, almost thirteen."

Genie held down a growing smile at the silly statement, knowing it wasn't so cute in the child's mind.

Vicky gave her pillow a few lame punches. "Mom needs to sleep, too. And I'm not a baby." Then quietly, as if more to herself, "And I'm not scared."

Genie rubbed the back of his blue noggin, frowning sadly. He may not have ever spoken to Mrs. Levinson in person, but what he'd seen and heard of her through Vicky told him the adult cared strongly for her child. She wouldn't have wanted to hear the gloom coming out of the kid's mouth. She and Genie probably wanted the same for Vicky- to continue being the bright youngster they both knew she was. To just be a ten year old who thought about adventures and discovery, not the harsher, sometimes scarier side of reality. Not when she was ten.

He had no doubts that her mother wouldn't hesitate if she knew Vicky was still having trouble sleeping and give up her own comfort to help her daughter feel better.

He hated seeing the little girl he'd grown so fond of acting like she was supposed to be made of sterner stuff, as if it were wrong for her to still be upset. She wasn't supposed to be acting like a "grown up," which in her mind must have translated to never being phased by anything. Hoo _boy_ , could he tell her a few stories about stuff that had upset him in the past. He was the only one who carried a treasure trove's worth of guilt for the selfish Masters of his past and all the lives they ruined using his phenomenal cosmic power. Being an all powerful being came with consequences. But that wasn't stuff he wanted to burden Vicky with. She was a child.

She was _still_ a child.

Turning aside to hide his deepening frown, Genie recalled the two stupid mortals that had lit a spark of unease in his young Master. She may have been foolish to go where she was warned not to go, but those two humans were responsible for the fears that wouldn't leave his kid alone. At least he could pride himself knowing he'd probably made them wet their pants …

Genie blinked, an idea smacking him hard in the head. He snapped his fingers, a light bulb (of all things) shining to life over him. He knew what to do.

Vicky needed her old spark back. The spark that didn't dwell on fears. Someone just had to remind her.

And who better than an all powerful, big blue genie?

"Vic, get up."

She didn't move an inch. "Why?"

"You need a midnight snack." He smacked his hands together, zooming over to the child's dresser.

"What are you doing?"

Multiple arms rummaging and throwing various shirts and bottoms into the atmosphere, Genie stuck his tongue out in concentration. "We're going on an adventure, and you can't go on an adventure in your pajamas. Good gravy, don't you have any clean clothes, kid!?"

Vicky sat up with about the same amount of enthusiasm as a snail to watch. She yawned, gesturing at the combo of pink shorts and a baggy white T-shirt she wore. It had a faded print of a yellow duck across the front. "My pajamas are clean."

Genie slammed the drawers shut. "All right, pajamas it is." He twirled a finger, sparkling magic shooting at his Master.

She didn't seem to realize he'd replaced her shirt and shorts with a frilly blue nightgown that resembled more of a dress. Vickly blinked, trying to keep up. "What're you talking about?"

"You've been cooped up in this house for too long, Vic. _Three days_. Time to go get good and lost!"

Genie transformed into a green outfit, chiming, "Off to Neverland! C'mon kid, up you go."

The shadow of a fairy flitted across the wall. Glittery dust cascaded across Vicky's wild mane of orange frizz and the child lifted from bed, suddenly weightless, and also wide awake. Her arms flailed and reached forward.

"Wait-wait-wait a minute!"

Genie grabbed her hand and pulled her floating form to the window. "Just follow the first poster on the wall straight on till morning." He snickered, smacking his forehead. "Okay, that was a bad one, but points for trying, Genie."

Both their costumes vanished.

Vicky's feet hit the floor and she staggered along behind him. "Genie! But my Mom, w-what if she finds out I'm not here?"

"Got it all taken care of, missy. Trust me, it'll be like we never left."

"How're you gonna do that?"

The window unlocked itself and lifted open, humid night air flooding the bedroom. The tree house had a small rift of moonlight drifting in from a window, putting a spotlight on the portal poster. Genie faced his handiwork with a thoughtful grin, snapping his fingers a few times, ticking through possible options. The poster blurred in response.

Beside him, Vicky clung to his hand, but her brown eyes were now round with curiosity. And maybe some confusion. "Don't _you_ wanna sleep?"

"Don't need to. Remember? And also, shadow puppets, Vic. Ask me sometime about how that little side production's coming along."

"Okaaay …" She fixed her gaze on the morphing poster. "Where we gonna go, Genie?"

His face split into a broad grin. He flung some personal magic at the poster, adding a shimmering effect to it while concealing the location he'd thought of. "Kid," Genie turned to look down at the youngster by his side, pumping her hand. "We're gonna go find some magic."

They plowed into the poster together and disappeared.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_ **: I realized I gave Dylan's mom a different last name than the one he had the first time we got introduced to his character. Whoops. I'm just going to keep their family name as "Randall."**

 **Thank you so much to all the awesome readers! I appreciate hearing how much you guys enjoy this story.**


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